Skills Innovation Challenge Calls recognise that individuals and organizations on the ground are best placed to drive innovation in skills systems and address pressing skills challenges. The Skills Innovation Challenge Calls invite partners to propose new and practical ideas and solutions that have the potential for scaling-up and replication on a wider scale.

We are looking to mobilize a global cohort of skills innovators to rethink skills development and lifelong learning and to help build the future of work we want!

We aim to create change in three ways:

• Incentivising people from all regions to identify major current and future skills challenges they confront;
• Sourcing innovative ideas and solutions to those challenges; and
• Encouraging innovation partnerships involving representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations and other key stakeholders.

Skills Innovation Challenge Calls so far

Since the start of the Skills Innovation Facility, the following Skills Innovation Challenge Calls have been implemented:

• Global: Finding solutions to skills mismatches (2020-2021);
• Cambodia: Finding solutions to digital TVET skills challenges (2020-2021);
• Regional: e-formality and skills development in Latin America and the Caribbean (2021-2022);
• Regional: Preventing forced labour in Africa through skills and lifelong learning (2021-2022);
• Malaysia: Mainstreaming gender equality and social inclusion in TVET/skills training institutions (2022-ongoing);
• ILO-IsDB Common Member States: Youth Green Skills Accelerator Challenge Call: Promoting youth participation and skills for a just transition (2022-ongoing); and
• South Africa: Boosting youth employability through digital skills (2022-ongoing).

Interested to join the adventure?

Keep an eye on our Skills Innovation Challenge Calls: they may bring you the perfect opportunity to bring your idea into reality. To learn more about getting involved, please contact skills@ilo.org